Consecrated women in North America take part in a retreat on the Theology of the Body

Under the watchful care of Our Lady of Guadalupe during the TOB course.

Jana Crea, a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi, was among
a group of consecrated from North American participating in a
weekend retreat on Blessed John Paul II’s Theology of the
Body catechesis at the Queen of the Family Retreat Center
in Oxford, Michigan from October 21 -23, 2011. Below is
her testimony about her experience.

Ongoing Formation

In addition to each member’s
personal studies, each year, time is set aside for the
consecrated women to delve more deeply into certain topics that
are of interest for our personal and/or apostolic lives. (We
commonly refer to this as our “studies week.”) In the
past we have studied topics such as adolescent psychology, spiritual
direction and prayer. This year we had the grace of
exploring John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. After several
consecrated members had positive experiences attending the Head and Heart
Immersion Course at the Theology of the Body Institute in
Pennsylvania, they recommended that all consecrated members have the opportunity
to study it. We had our opportunity this past month,
and the consecrated women in Mexico will have their retreat
in April next year.

Bill Donaghy, a certified speaker of the
TOB Institute, was invited to present the course and facilitate

"Bill helped us to remember that the primary object of all our search, desire and attraction must be Christ."

discussion. A regular presenter for the “Head and Heart Immersion
Course,” he said he particularly geared this course to explaining
how TOB relates to the celibate life. He invited each
one of us to apply it first to our own
lives before trying to pass it on to others. “Before
you can give it, you have to live it,” he
said.

What is the TOB?

During the weekend, Bill “unloaded” John Paul
II’s teaching f or us. “It is ancient and new.
It is Christianity reloaded. It is further unpacking the Mystery
of the Incarnation, and an introduction to being human,” he
said. He explained the catechesis using the following outline (called
John Paul II’s “Adequate Anthropology”):

• Original man• Historical man (fallen and
redeemed) • Glorified man

Bill spoke to us about how
man is fulfilled when he lives out the “spousal” meaning
of his body. For a consecrated woman, this is lived
out particularly in her celibacy by love of Christ and
His Church.

Quoting the Papal preacher, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, Bill encouraged
us in our vocation: “His love does not subtract us
necessarily from the call of creatures and in particular from
the attraction of the other sex (this is part of

The consecrated women pose with Bill Donaghy at the retreat center in Oxford, Michigan.

our nature that he has created and does not wish
to destroy),” he said. “He gives us, however, the strength
to overcome these attractions with a much stronger attraction.”

The Divine
Romance

Bill helped us to remember that the primary object of
all our search, desire and attraction must be Christ. Quoting
Cantalamessa, he said:

“It is true that not even Christ is
seen, but he exists,” he explained. “He is risen. He
is alive. He is close to us, more truly than
the most enamored husband is close to his wife. Here
is the crucial point -- to think of Christ not
as a person of the past, but as the risen
and living Lord, with whom I can speak, who I
can even kiss if I so wish, certain that my
kiss does not end on the paper or on the
wood of a crucifix, but on a face and on
the lips of living flesh (even though spiritualized), happy to
receive my kiss.”

An Experiential Approach

In presenting the material, Bill
took the philosophical approach of Phenomenology, leading each person to
assimilate through her own experiences. He would often initiate discussions
allowing anyone to share insights or significant experiences for the
enrichment of all present. More than just informing us about
what John Paul II taught in his Wednesday audiences, he
invited us to make it a “lived experience” and gave
us the forum to begin to apply it.

Bills’ new approach
was an educational experience for everyone, helping us to see
how the imprint of the Divine is found nearly everywhere.
This could be seen (and heard) through songs and videos
he shared with us. (For a taste of his engaging
way of presenting, check out his blog “Twisted Mystics.”) Many
of us are almost as excited about applying his method
of teaching as we are of sharing TOB.

Family SpiritSpeaking
for all the consecrated women attending, I can say we
all enjoyed the time to delve deeply into the topic
of TOB, but appreciated as well the moments of camaraderie
and friendship together. We had time not just to study,
but to share, and enrich each other through our sharing.
We look forward to our next ‘get-together’ for our yearly
Spiritual Exercises at Christmas break. Please pray for us as
we pray for you!